Inexperience evident early for Norwood baseball

Wednesday

Apr 12, 2017 at 12:02 AMApr 12, 2017 at 12:02 AM

Tom Fargo tfargo@wickedlocal.com

With a team extremely light on meaningful varsity experience after the graduation of 15 seniors, there figure to be some rough moments this spring as the Norwood High baseball team gets its feet week. Coach Kevin Igoe and the Mustangs were hoping they wouldn’t have to see such a glaring example right out of the gate.

The contrast of a veteran Wellesley team was evident in Tuesday’s opener as the Raiders took advantage of an uneven performance all around by the hosts in an 11-1 win at Peter Wall Field.

“We are still trying to find out who we are,” said Igoe. “The weather didn’t help, it was our second or third time out on a field. It was physical mistakes, so we are not terribly concerned. We have a lot of talent, we will be alright.”

The talent starts with the duo of seniors in Connor Flynn and Michael James. Flynn is a four-year starter who shifts to shortstop this season, while center fielder James is the catalyst at the top of the lineup.

They join fellow captains Chris Petraca and Ryan Johnson in a small group of Mustangs that have seen significant varsity action.

Against Wellesley, Petraca was at second to form a double play combination with Flynn, while seniors Charlie Gover at third and Cam Flahive at first manned the corners. Flanking James in the outfield was Johnson in left and sophomore Jay Wladkowski in right. Senior Patrick Forrest was in the designated hitter spot.

Juniors Dan Quinn and Sean Munro split time at catcher as Norwood juggled multiple players in and out of the lineup.

“We had a lot of moving parts out there today just trying to work things out in our mind because of the lack of experience at the varsity level, but we will right the ship,” said Igoe.

It was a promising start for the Mustangs as senior Ricky Meehan worked a 1-2-3 first inning and Norwood quickly got Wellesley hurler Henry Weycker in trouble in the bottom half. A leadoff single by James, a Petraca walk and a Johnson single loaded the bases with one out for Flynn, who dumped a ball down the right field line that dropped in for a single.

With the runners holding to see if a diving attempt was successful, just one run scored, and Weycker limited the damage with a double play ball to end the threat.

After allowing three hits in the first, Weycker did not surrender another over his next three innings of work, finishing with five strikeouts and one walk in an abbreviated outing. The southpaw, who has already committed to Virginia Tech as a sophomore, had just one base runner reach when the speedy James caused Raider first baseman Max Guiffre to come off the bag early in the third, but he stranded him on second after a stolen base.

“We said it when it happened, one in the gap there and things are probably different,” said Igoe of not capitalizing more in the first. “You have to get them early.”

Weycker did plenty at the plate as well, blasting a pair of RBI triples. Wellesley scored two unearned runs to take the lead for good in the second, added another in the third, then broke the game open with a five-run fourth that knocked Meehan from the game.

Wellesley tacked on another three off relievers Matt Rice and Flynn. With most of the staff departed, Norwood will need some untested arms like senior Sean Welch and junior Matt Jeanetti to become major contributors, but Igoe thinks the Mustangs have potential on the mound if they can tighten things up in the field.

“Pitching won’t be the problem, we have to make the plays,” said Igoe. “Throwing the ball around, there is no excuse.”

Norwood is coming off a 12-9 season that ended with a 1-0 loss in extra innings to Attleboro in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament as the Mustangs could not recapture the postseason magic that took them to the state final in 2014 and crowned them state champions in 2015.

Despite the massive turnover in personnel, Igoe made it clear that his high standards for the program remain constant.

“The same every year, we expect to win,” said Igoe. “I promise you, we expect to win, and we will.”